The Early Adventures Program - Caregiver and Child Classes

Information on Applying to The Early Adventures and Explorations Program:

Registration for the 2014-2015 school year is now closed and we are no longer accepting application.

NATURE FOR KIDS AND CAREGIVERS

2 to 4 year-olds with non-parental caregivers

Tuition: $1,750

These classes are designed for the young children of working parents. Each child attends class with his or her non-parental caregiver. Early childhood educators teach age-appropriate science and nature topics, and introduce innovative ways to use the Museum with very young children.

2014-2015 CLASS SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAYS:

NKC A - CLASS CLOSED
2 - 2 1/2 year-oldsWednesday 9:15AM -10:15AM

NKC B - CLASS CLOSED
2 1/2 - 3 year-oldsWednesday 10:45AM -11:45AM

NKC C - CLASS CLOSED
3 & 4 year-oldsWednesday 1:00PM - 2:00PM

SCIENCE FOR KIDS AND CAREGIVERS

4 to 5 year-olds with non-parental caregivers

Tuition: $1,950

This class, like NATURE FOR KIDS AND CAREGIVERS (above), offers children of working parents an opportunity to learn about nature and science at the Museum.Classes are designed with a variety of learning experiences with an emphasis on teamwork. Caregivers partner with the children in their investigations, observations and science projects.

A student in the Comparative Biology doctoral program at the Museum’s Richard Gilder Graduate School (RGGS), Watanabe was recently chosen to be one of the beta-testers for Google Glass, a hands-free wearable computer.

For an extraordinary group of New York City students, going to class means passing a Neanderthal skeleton, a 94-foot-long model of a blue whale, and a family of brown bears — and that’s just on the first floor.

These are the 13 students now enrolled in the Richard Gilder Graduate School at the American Museum of Natural History, which in 2006 became the only American museum—and the first museum in the Western Hemisphere—with the authority to grant the Ph.D. degree. In 2008, the Museum made history by enrolling its first class. Just last year, the New York State Board of Regents granted full institutional accreditation to the Richard Gilder Graduate School, a landmark decision that recognized the strength of the new program and the Museum’s long track record of training graduate students in partnership with leading institutions that include Columbia University, New York University, Cornell University, City University of New York, and Stony Brook University.

The Museum’s new Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is the first urban teacher residency program offered by a museum and a unique 15-month teaching fellowship for people who want to share their passion for science with middle and high school students in New York State. On Saturday, January 7, the Museum will host an Open House for the program from noon to 2 pm or 2 to 4 pm, giving prospective applicants the chance to meet faculty and staff, find out more about how the MAT program is structured, and take behind-the-scenes tours of the Museum campus before the final application deadline on January 31. MAT Program Co-Director Ro Kinzler, who is also the director of the Museum’s National Center for Science Literacy, Education, and Technology (NCSLT),recently answered a few questions about this unique opportunity.

Why has the MAT program been created now?

New York State recently issued the opportunity for “non-traditional” institutions to offer master in education programs designed to prepare teachers in high-need areas for the first time—so the Museum has stepped up to meet this opportunity.

What type of applicant is the program seeking?

The program is seeking individuals with undergraduate or higher degrees in Earth and related sciences. We’re looking for recent graduates as well as folks already into their careers who are motivated to switch gears and become Earth science teachers for grades 7 through 12.